How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog.

What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake.

How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll.

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A new team joins the battle: Fighting Avengers

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Joining the previously announced Captain America (voiced by Brian Bloom) and Iron Man (voiced by Josh Keaton) are Hulk (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) and Black Panther (voiced by Erica Luttrell), forming the brand-new team: the Fighting Avengers.

Led by Captain America, this newly formed Avengers squad comes together to confront a new threat facing Earth. As heroes watched closely—and admired greatly—by people around the world, we hope you’re looking forward to seeing how they rise to the challenge in Episode Mode.

New stage revealed: Wakanda

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We’re also excited to announce a brand-new stage: Wakanda.

Wakanda is a nation located in Africa, blessed with rich natural landscapes while also standing as a global leader in advanced scientific technology. Traditionally protected by its king, the Black Panther, Wakanda is now ruled by the young Black Panther, Shuri, who has taken on the mantle to defend her people.

New playable character: Hulk

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A green goliath whose strength grows with his rage, Hulk once fought alongside the Avengers to save the world. However, in MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, his overwhelming power and instability lead the government, S.H.I.E.L.D., and even his fellow teammates Captain America and Iron Man, to exile him to the Savage Land.

There, Hulk lives a quiet life, surrounded by nature and animals, but his distrust of the Avengers has yet to fade.

During development, Hulk’s backstory was established early on. While staying true to the core design concept of a massive, gamma-radiated powerhouse, elements inspired by this narrative were incorporated into his design. Hulk adorns himself with dinosaur bone armor toreinforce his feral, untamed fighting style and highlight his raw power.

Hulk can overpower opponents at any range with sheer force. Channeling his anger builds his unique Gamma Gauge. When it reaches maximum, Hulk enters Gamma Rage which significantly boosts his strength and speed.

Build up the Gamma Gauge and unleash devastating one-shot attacks at just the right moment to deal massive damage.

New playable character: Black Panther

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Ruler of the great African nation of Wakanda, Shuri protects her country as the Black Panther. 

Having only recently inherited the mantle, she struggles with doubts about whether she is truly ready for the role. 

As a new threat approaches, Shuri must make critical decisions, not only as a warrior, but as a queen who must balance tradition and progress.

When we decided to include her in the roster, her character backstory was discussed and established early on. Having only recently taken up the mantle of Black Panther alongside her existing role of Wakanda’s chief scientist, Shuri’s design reflects this important transition.

Sleek, athletic lines emphasize a sense of speed befitting an acrobatic fighter, while preserving the primal wildness that defines the role. At the same time, subtle touches of Wakandan royalty are woven into the finer details of her suit, reflecting the weight of leadership she now carries.

In combat, Black Panther excels with swift movement and long reach using the Spear of Bashenga. She possesses a high-speed mobility skill called Bast’s Blessing, allowing her to dash in multiple directions. Bast’s Blessing consumes a dedicated gauge, but it can be canceled from normal attacks and skills, enabling varied and flexible combos and mixups.

Dominate mid-range battles with precise spear attacks, then close the distance with lightning-fast movement to overwhelm opponents up close.

New threat revealed: The Champion

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The latest trailer also introduced a new character: The Champion.

One of the Elders of the Universe, Champion has existed since the birth of the universe and travels the cosmos alongside his right-hand showwoman, Promoter. A cosmic conqueror obsessed with hand-to-hand combat, he journeys from planet to planet in search of worthy opponents.

Those who fail to satisfy his thirst for battle face the ultimate consequence: the destruction of their entire world.

And now, his next target has been chosen: Earth.

Under Promoter’s direction, the “Challenge of the Champion” tournament has been announced. Teams of four will battle through qualifiers, earning the right to face Champion himself. But is there more to this sinister game than just sport? 

The Fighting Avengers enter the tournament as one of its leading contenders. More details about Champion will be revealed soon!

What’s next?

Did you enjoy the hands-on demo at EVO Japan? Thank you so much for all your feedback! We truly appreciate it and it is already helping shape development.

Next up, we’ll be bringing the newest playable build to:

• Combo Breaker 2026, starting May 22 in Chicago, Illinois
• Hong Kong Comic Con 2026, starting May 29 in Hong Kong

The build will include the newly announced Black Panther and the Wakanda stage, for a total of 13 playable characters and five stages. If you’re attending either event, be sure to stop by and try it for yourself!

Development is entering its final stages, and the entire team is working hard every day to deliver the best possible experience at launch.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support! We’ll have more news to share soon!

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here

Hey, everybody! Sid and I are back this week to celebrate the launch of Saros with a special interview featuring Actor Rahul Kohli and Creative Director Gregory Loudeni from Housemarque.

Stuff We Talked About

• Next week’s release highlights:
  
  • Wax Heads | PS5 
  • Mixtape | PS5
    
    
• Arc Raiders PS5 Pro update — The new PS5 Pro update is now available and it brings PSSR upscaling and other enhancements to the third-person extraction shooter.
  
  
• 4:Loop The Scanner boss design — The feature offers a walkthrough of the design process behind this ominous cube from the developers at Bad Robot Games. Learn how staying in motion is key to survival, and how each boss encounter is a unique puzzle. 
  
  
• The Blood of Dawnwalker impressions — Coming to PS5 on September 3, dive into the unique time mechanics where time passes by a little or a lot, depending on your actions. Will you be able to save your family in the 30-day timeframe?
  
  
• NBA The Run gameplay reveal — Get your first look at the high-octane, momentum-based gameplay inspired by classic streetball video games. Make sure your sneakers are laced up for when this game comes to PS5 this June.
  
  
• 007: First Light hands-on — The latest look uncovers how Bond deploys stealth, action, and charm in his origin story. The game launches on PS5 May 27.

The Cast

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Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE

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O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE

Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

elizado_ shares a plant and book-filled room in When The Past Was Around.

PattyGnand shares Swann laying in bed with her cat in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.

call_me_xavii shares the comfy quarters of Stardew Valley

 xenobitz shares a grilling picnic in progress in My Time At Sandrock.

KevinFerna43259 shares the titular stray cat taking a nap in Stray.

FuchsFeuer22763 shares a cozy sweater and scarf-based outfit in Infinity Nikki

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Celebrate
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on May 5, 2026 

Next week, share moments from your favorite game where characters are celebrating. Use #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

For those who want to return, New Game Plus offers a different way to experience that journey again – building on what you’ve already learned and unlocked. 

New Game Plus in Control Resonant allows you to start a fresh playthrough while carrying over much of what you’ve already earned. Your Aberrant upgrades, health and combat ability resource improvements, unlocked supernatural combat abilities, talents, and artifacts all persist into the next run. What does not carry over are traversal abilities, as those remain tied to story progression and how the world unfolds. 

Rebuilding your approach 

One of the goals for New Game Plus is to give players more room to experiment with builds that weren’t possible during the first playthrough, as you cannot unlock everything in your arsenal in one go. 

As you progress, you’ll unlock new talent nodes, expanding how your abilities and Aberrant attacks work together in combat. In addition, New Game Plus introduces new flexibility in how abilities are combined. You’ll be able to equip multiple different combat abilities from the same boss, opening up new combinations and synergies that change how encounters play out. 

It’s not just about becoming stronger; it’s about becoming more precise in how you play. 

Customization systems working together 

One of the ways you can shape your build in Control Resonant is Artifacts, a system we haven’t explored in detail before. Artifacts are equippable items with passive modifiers that allow you to fine-tune your build. They can affect survivability, combat performance, exploration, or the resource economy – and some come with conditions or trade-offs. Rather than being purely additive, they encourage you to tailor your setup for specific situations. 

You can equip up to three artifacts during your first playthrough. In New Game Plus, a fourth slot unlocks, allowing for more complex combinations. 

Artifacts are also tied to the crafting loop in the game. You’ll discover untapped artifacts throughout the world, which can be crafted into usable artifacts in the Gap. As your collection grows, so do your options for adapting your build. 

A world that pushes back 

Returning to Manhattan also means facing a more demanding version of it. 

As you progress through Control Resonant, the world itself evolves. Enemies grow more dangerous, encounters shift, and even familiar fights can take on new dimensions. Some bosses may surprise you with new behaviors, forcing you to rethink strategies that once worked. A fight you handled one way before may require a completely different approach the next time you face it. 

New Game Plus continues that escalation. While you return with more tools and knowledge, the world keeps pushing back – reshaping encounters and raising the stakes as you move forward. 

It’s not just about becoming more powerful. It’s about adapting to a world that refuses to stay the same. 

This is where the depth of your build really matters. The game supports different approaches, but success comes from understanding how those pieces fit together. 

Going back in 

Control Resonant is built to reward returning players, and not everything is necessarily found in a single run. 

It’s an opportunity to revisit World Quests, bounties, and collectibles you may have missed, or see different outcomes in certain side stories and conversations. 

New Game Plus is for players who want to spend more time with the systems and world of Control Resonant. 

The first playthrough already offers a wide range of options and experimentation. Returning to the game allows you to build on that foundation, try different approaches, and take on new challenges with a more complete toolkit. 

We’re looking forward to seeing how players approach their second run – and what new combinations they discover along the way. 

Control Resonant releases on PlayStation 5 in 2026.

I recently went hands-on with 007: First Light across three missions, and saw first-hand how IOI has created a Bond game that combines action with a more thoughtful spy experience.

Bond from the beginning

Unlike the Bond film series, 007: First Light tells a new story, set in the modern era, that delves into Bond’s origins. When we first meet IO’s take on James Bond, he’s serving in the Royal Navy, a crewman on a mission in Iceland. Suddenly, missiles hit the two helicopters on the mission, and they crash on a nearby coastline. Bond makes it to shore and immediately finds himself sneaking past hostile mercenaries as they search for any survivors.

Before long, Bond is contacted via radio by an MI6 operative, and with no one else left, he’s pressed into service to retrieve some mysterious item. The mission gives a sense of Bond’s capabilities — even at this early point in his career, he’s able to keep his cool and analyze the situation thoughtfully, quickly donning a parka to disguise himself among the mercenaries and gather information.

But we also see that this younger Bond isn’t easily swayed from his convictions, and that he can be impatient and maybe a bit reckless. He eventually ignores his new MI6 handler and risks his life to save other operatives who’ve been captured by the enemy soldiers. After a harrowing trip through the camp to save the captives, the mission culminates in an action-packed chase as everyone escapes.

Welcome to MI6

Despite disobeying orders, Bond’s performance in Iceland got him noticed. After First Light’s take on Bond film opening credits, we headed to Malta for MI6 training.

Bond’s goal here is to make it past a group of soldiers patrolling ruins while his instructors look on. You can use stealth, staying behind cover or hiding in tall grass, or go loud with your fists and any weapons you find along the way. You’re also outfitted with Q gadgets, which provide lots of ways of dealing with enemies, both in and out of combat.

Holding L1 activates your Q Lens, which lets you see enemies through walls and highlights devices you can hack by hitting the X button to create distractions. Your watch can also fire a laser with Square to do things like cut ropes or explode devices to injure nearby enemies.

If you are spotted, you can take on enemies with Bond’s fists. Throwing punches is done with the Square button, and you can block and parry blows with Circle or sidestep with X. Timing those moves correctly is essential — even on the easier difficulty settings, First Light’s enemies are brutal fighters, especially when they gang up.

Luckily, Bond’s good at finding ways to gain an advantage. You can bounce enemies off hard surfaces to stun them, or grab nearby objects with Triangle to bash them. Holding L1 also gives you access to all your gadgets during fistfights and gunfights, so you can use your Q Watch’s laser to blind opponents or hack something to knock them off balance, before you come in with a haymaker. With an enemy off-balance, you can execute a takedown to finish them off by pressing X and Circle buttons together.

In the training mission, I felt Hitman’s influence on 007: First Light in its mix of stealth and action, its emphasis on improvisation, and its freedom to approach problems from multiple angles. But 007 stands apart with how many ways you can put together different actions to get out of trouble, and how quickly Bond can switch between all of them. The fun is in chaining together options on the fly to beat enemies down or just slip out of sight.

Practicing the craft

The third mission, Kensington, showed how you’ll need to use Bond’s fast thinking, spy capabilities, and charm as much as his fists and his marksmanship skills.

The level starts with Bond returning to his apartment after a mission, only to be attacked by assassins. After a tough fight, gunfire explodes through a window, forcing you to scramble over rooftops, staying behind cover and hacking distractions, to reach the shooter. 

He escapes, but Bond manages to track him across London to a gala at a museum.

The gala is where 007: First Light drew most from Hitman in my preview, opening up into a “wide-linear” level with lots of options. To find a way into areas off-limits to guests, you can eavesdrop on conversations and talk to characters to gain information. You can also use your gadgets, including a poison dart that temporarily makes whoever it hits feel sick, to distract people so you can pick their pockets or sneak by.

I overheard a public relations director talking about a journalist she was supposed to meet and opted to impersonate him to get past security. But while Bond is a smooth talker, you still have to listen closely; the director had actually mentioned two names, and I had to choose one.

I picked the journalist she’d seemed less annoyed with, and she happily directed me past security to the press room — but when I used the same name at the press room, the woman handing out credentials said he’d already checked in. Bond smoothed over the flub with some flirting, and I used a dart to get the woman to leave so I could steal what I needed.

All kinds of improvisation

Tracking down the assassin in the museum’s basement led to an intense boss fight. Since Bond was unarmed, I stealthily used Bond’s gadgets to hit the assassin with traps, like dropping a chandelier on him. After some developments in First Light’s story, I spent the rest of the mission trying to escape the museum.

When machine gun-armed mercenaries streamed into one art exhibit with walls covered in display panels, I combined all of Bond’s tricks — stealth, fistfighting, gadgets, and improvisation — to take them on. I thinned them out by dropping more chandeliers and blowing up the panels, confusing and disabling them. 

They eventually caught up with me, but a takedown on one let me grab his gun. I dodged from cover to cover as I shot at the mercenaries, before detonating a fire extinguisher with my watch laser to distract them as I slipped out the door.

The mission eventually ended with the 007 theme music ramping up as Bond hijacked a garbage truck, with mercenaries in hot pursuit. I plowed through buildings, ran mercenary cars into walls, and eventually smashed through a mall to escape.

The three missions in the preview highlighted how IOI’s combination of action, improvisation, and freedom captures not only the action of the Bond franchise, but the experience of being a smooth and savvy spy, too. You can earn your 00 status when 007: First Light hits PlayStation 5 on May 27.

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PlayStation Blog: What is your earliest memory of Resident Evil as a series?

Zach Cregger: My earliest memory of Resident Evil had to be playing [Resident Evil] 2. I think I played 2 before I played 1, and I don’t think I played anything like it, it’s the first survival horror game that I remember playing. I definitely played it before Silent Hill, and I just loved this new mechanic of resource conservation. You had to be completely aware of how many bullets you had, and how many healing items you had. You’d make these tough decisions about – what am I going to carry with me? What am I going to leave behind? It was such a unique mechanic. And it felt for me, with all the Resident Evil games, or with most of them, some of them get a little too arcade-y for my taste, but I really like the survival horror mechanics of moving slow and with deliberation. That was something that was really important to me to bring into the movie.

Everybody has a favorite moment from the games just jumping out of their skin terrified. What is your favorite scare in the Resident Evil series?

Now, I have to say I was playing it in VR, so I’m gonna put that out there, but it was in [Resident Evil] Village. It’s when you go into the doll house, and you go down in the basement, and you’re assembling that giant doll on the table, and you get hunted by this giant baby. There was something about the sounds that baby made, and the lights cut out, and you’re running through these halls and you have to hide under a bed.

It was the only time playing a video game I’ve ever actually just noped out and taken a break. I was just like, “This is too intense.” I took the headset off, I had a cup of coffee or something, went back in and finished it later. But I mean, that really got me, it’s honestly terrifying.

What initially sparked your interest to create a Resident Evil film?

I wanted to do a movie that was following a character from point A to point B, because that’s what those games do so well. You go on this crazy journey, and you go through all these different environments, and things just seem to be escalating and escalating. That feels so cinematic to me. So I wanted to tell a story that could take place in the Resident Evil world, but wasn’t telling a story that the games had already told. To me, I would feel like there’s kind of no winning there if I were to tell Leon’s story, because the games do such a great job. It would just be kind of redundant, and ultimately, I think, disappointing. So I would rather just kind of celebrate everything I love about the games by telling the story that could exist on the sidelines of one of the games.

So the world of [Resident Evil] 2 is kind of where this takes place, even though I’d make a couple of little shifts for dramatic license. It’s just following a different person who’s on a mission in this horrible night when things are going wrong in Raccoon City, and they’ve got to get something from point A to point B. And as they go, they encounter all of the same sorts of things you would encounter in the games. I wanted to keep true to like [in the games], you start with a pistol, you graduate to a shotgun, and then eventually you find an MP5. You’re always worried about how many bullets you have, and you’re getting injured and all those things. So it was such a fun challenge for me to try and write a game as a movie.

As you mentioned, this is not a retelling of the games, this is something set in the world of it. What would you say is essential to the world of Resident Evil?

Well, the world of Resident Evil is that this T-virus that the Umbrella Corporation is responsible for has caused a terrible zombie mutant breakout. And so things are going completely amok everywhere you look, and that’s a fun playground for me.

We’ve seen the heroes in Resident Evil games – Leon, of course, is tactical, he has training, he knows what he’s doing. But we’ve had newer characters like Ethan Winters (Resident Evil 7 and Village) and Grace (Resident Evil Requiem) in the games that are sort of dropped in this world and they don’t know what they’re doing. Is Austin [Abrams, who plays lead character Bryan] following that tradition of trying to figure out what to do?

Austin is very much like an avatar for me, or what I expect the average video game player would react if they were thrust into the game themselves. So he’s just a normal guy. He’s not particularly good at combat in any way, shape, or form. He’s athletic, but he’s not an athlete, he’s just a guy. He’s just a good natured, hapless dude who gets sucked into a nightmare. And so it was really fun to just think, how would I react authentically if I saw a mutant dog attack me? What would that gamut of emotion look like? And Austin’s just so fun to watch, he’s perfect for it.

In the Resident Evil games, the environments themselves feel like a character. What are some of the environmental setups that you feel are going to be the most important for a movie like this?

I think the key for the environment to make a movie out of Resident Evil, is it has to keep changing. Even though, [Resident Evil] 2 famously, most of it takes place in one location, the police station. Still, you’re always kind of unlocking new areas within and then you eventually go down into the parking garage, and then you go to other places. So the environment has to keep changing, and you have to be able to keep discovering new places. That’s something that this movie really leans into. You’re on a journey, and you really don’t spend too long in any one spot. And every new location that you go to harbors a new, unique danger.

As you mentioned, this movie is something that exists outside of the games. But did you feel a call to include easter eggs from the games?

Yeah, there’s a lot of easter eggs for the games, and that goes beyond things like the weapon progression and the resource management. [Resident Evil] 4 is probably the game I played the most, so I took a lot of healing items, I mimicked them exactly, I put them in the film. I don’t want to say [too much], gamers will see it and they’ll recognize it. But there’s a lot of little visual things and thematic things, there’s lots of the games in there, for sure.

Is there anything that you would like to say to fans before the movie comes out?

I feel so sensitive about talking about the movie on behalf of the game fans, because I think some of the fans are only going to be happy if I tell the story of the games. And I’m not doing that, because I feel like I wouldn’t do it justice. I feel like the games do such a great job of telling that story.

If you were personally stuck in the world that you have created, which Resident Evil gaming character do you wish was there to help?

Oh, well, that’s easy. If I was stuck in my movie and I could pick any Resident Evil character, I would bring Leon because I would just bear hug myself around him, close my eyes, and just let him protect me.

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie hits theaters September 18.

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Today, we wanted to break down some different parts of the game fans have been asking about, so let’s get to it:

Knockout tournaments 

Every game in NBA The Run  throws you into a four-round knockout tournament, played on iconic streetball courts around the world. Games are short, quick burst rounds that keep you on your toes with randomized rulesets that will force you to change up strategy on the fly, game to game. How many Trophies can you stack?

In the zone

This is a momentum-based system that unlocks powerful, signature abilities that vary depending on the player – think of it like activating an “ultimate” in a hero game or just like when your favorite NBA player heats up, takes over, and can’t be stopped. From blowing through defenders at the rim with Posterizer to clamping up on defense with The Shadow, these boosts can flip a game in a heartbeat. Make big plays to unlock it quickly, then time it right to swing the momentum of the game and take over.

The Shop

We know your time is valuable, and we wanted to create an unlock system that lets you prioritize which rewards you get for getting dubs. Win matches to earn Cred, our in-game currency used to unlock cosmetics like jerseys, advanced dunks, taunts, badges, and banners. From throwback NBA fits to 720 dunks, too small taunts, and more, there are plenty of ways to show off your own style. The ultimate prize for many, including us on the dev team, is Rookie Variants. From young Steph Curry in ‘09 to KD on the Super Sonics, we have 5 rookies of NBA All-Stars who not only look different, but play different too.

Street legends

The Shop isn’t the only way you unlock things in NBA The Run. Ranking up also gets you one of the most anticipated aspects of the game – our own streetball legends. These characters were with us since the start of development. They’re some of the best players in certain areas, but they also have huge, glaring weaknesses. We can’t wait to see how the community uses them. We’re excited to announce today that our own announcer, Bobbito Garcia, will be a playable legend – his sick handles are sure to break some ankles.

We’ve said it from the very beginning that we’re building NBA The Run brick by brick with our player community. We built our last court going into the game at launch after a fan vote, we’ve taken their suggestions for advanced dunk animations, taunts and even some different ways to play, including adding a Shootaround mode for practice, and Knockout Friends, a private tournament mode that lets you play alone against AI, with friends against AI, or head to head against anyone you want to invite in (up to 48 players at launch).

This is truly a dream project for all of us at Play by Play Studios. We’re a small team of industry veterans and lifelong hoop fans who grew up in a golden era of basketball games. We hope you and your friends can also join us on this epic run. Wishlist at PlayStation Store now.

All three titles will be available to all PlayStation Plus members from Tuesday May 5, and PlayStation Plus members can also enjoy additional exclusive content for EA Sports FC 26, Read on to find out more!

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EA Sports FC 26 | PS5, PS4 

The club is yours in EA Sports FC 26. Play your way with an overhauled gameplay experience powered by feedback from the FC Community, and choose between Authentic Gameplay and Competitive Gameplay presets. Put your dream squad to the test in Football Ultimate Team, with Tournaments and Live Events, as well as a refreshed Rivals and Champs experience. Enjoy unrivalled authenticity in EA Sports FC 26, featuring 20,000+ players across 750+ clubs and national teams, in over 120+ stadiums and 35+ leagues. 

PlayStation Plus members also receive a EA Sports FC 26 PlayStation Plus Icons Pack** as a special add-on entitlement, redeemable during the game’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games residency.

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Wuchang: Fallen Feathers | PS5

In this Soulslike action RPG, female pirate warrior Wuchang awakens in the tumultuous final years of China’s Ming Dynasty with no memories of her past. The land of Shu is plagued by warring factions and a mysterious phenomenon known as Feathering that is causing people to mutate into hideous monsters. Now herself afflicted with Feathering, Wuchang must explore this vast, interconnected world while battling cruel and twisted enemies. Master various fighting styles, discover hidden weapons and ancient firearms, harvest new skills from defeated foes and even embrace the power of Feathering to discover the truth at the heart of the chaos.

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Nine Sols| PS5, PS4

Nine Sols is a lore-rich, hand-drawn 2D action-platformer with Sekiro-inspired, deflection-based combat. Face off against ancient deities, explore a land once ruled by an ancient alien race, and follow a vengeful hero on a quest to slay the 9 Sols—the powerful rulers of this forsaken realm.

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Last chance to add April’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games to your library 

PlayStation Plus members have until Monday May 4 to add Lords of the Fallen, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream to their game library. 

*PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day for more information. 

**EA FC 26 PlayStation Plus Icons Pack can be redeemed via its product page on PlayStation Store, with the content then available in-game. 

Today Matt Bone, lead designer, and Mark Chambers, lead artist, share their favourite new enemies and provide some insight into their creation and role. There are a few exclusive reveals to discover too as you read on.

Matt Bone: One feature of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 we’re really excited about is including all four Chaos god factions for the first time. That means players will be fighting against Nurgle, Tzeentch, Khorne, and Slaanesh enemies, as well as the returning Black Legion forces. 

Slaanesh: Daemonette 

Bone: For me Daemonettes are the quintessential Slaanesh unit, so it was not only vital we include them as a new enemy, but that we really spent time doing them justice. 

With the Slaanesh faction we’re leaning into themes of elusiveness, showing off, and disorienting the player. So, the Daemonettes have a bunch of ambitious abilities we’ve never done before in Boltgun. They perform huge arcing leaps around the battlefield, as if playing with their prey below, before rapidly closing the distance with a zigzagging phase attack. Up close, their beguiling presence causes a special screen effect at the same time they’re trying to claw you to death. They’re quite a handful.

Mark Chambers: We wanted to make Daemonettes a visual spectacle, particularly when they’re performing these phase attacks, in which we’ve developed a freeze frame technique to capture a sprite trail across the screen. 

I’m also a fan of how we channeled the unsettling nature of Slaanesh into a horrific facial change when seen up close, and an underwater motion effect that’s been applied to details like hair animations.

Khorne: Bloodcrusher 

Bone: The Bloodcrusher was another technical challenge for us. This is the first mounted unit we’ve done in Boltgun and was worth the effort in terms of gameplay. 

During combat, the Bloodletter rider can leap off the Juggernaut mount, meaning you now have two bloodthirsty Khorne enemies to deal with. I have a particular soft spot for the Juggernaut’s consume ability, where it gorges itself on any nearby corpses on the battlefield to regain health – sometimes including its former rider.

Chambers: We really pushed the complexity of our animation rigs by combining two separate enemies into one. Not only is this an impressive visual feat, but the effects used on the charge ability in particular really emphasizes the unrelenting force bearing down on targets like a daemonic runaway train. 

The sheer height scale involved here also adds to the in-game presence, as these enemies tower above players on the battlefield.

Nurgle: Blightlord Terminator 

Bone: It was important to us that if we were going to commit to including all four Chaos factions, we include Chaos Marine units for each. This meant adding Plague Marines and Blightlord Terminators to the Nurgle faction. 

I love the tabletop models for the Terminators especially, so it was a thrill to get them in the game. With Nurgle we’re leaning into area denial gameplay as well as emphasising the gloriously disgusting pox-ridden and pestilent nature of these enemies. 

Blightlord Terminators in Boltgun 2 are walking plague factories, launching blight grenades and slamming massive corrupt flails into the ground. Both of those attacks create a noxious hazard zone, really keeping the player moving.

Chambers: Anything Nurgle is a joy to create art for as there’s so much detail to choose from. The Blightlord Terminators are no exception, and the sprite quality we’ve managed to capture is impressive to say the least. 

Boils, pustules, tentacles, slime, filth, it’s all there, and effects used adds to this glorious in-game corruption. 

The debris trails left in the wake of some of our ground attacks are particularly eye-catching, and the enemy death sequences also remind me of gigantic biological grenades going off. In a good way.

Tzeentch: Scarab Occult Terminator

Bone: I couldn’t resist showing off another terminator here. We’re also adding Rubric Marines to the Tzeentch faction, but I love playing against the Scarab Occult Terminators in particular. 

One has a Hellfyre Missile Rack attached to his back, which fires a rapid deluge of missiles at the player. A big part of Boltgun 2 is making sure each faction feels different to fight against. With Tzeentch we’re focusing on bullet hell gameplay, which is never more apparent than when a dozen Hellfyre Missiles are screaming towards your face.

Chambers: I’ve always liked the strong visual characteristics of Tzeentch, and we took this opportunity to really push things like colour schemes and effects to make these Terminator based units worthy of the faction. 

Astra Militarum: Death Korps of Krieg

Bone: A special bonus reveal for anyone who made it this far: in Boltgun 2 we’re including allied units for the first time in the form of the Death Korps of Krieg. 

As unwaveringly loyal devotees of the Emperor, these troopers will fight alongside you in several levels as you take on the Archenemy. This being the grim dark far future however, their life expectancy might not be that great…

Chambers: I’m a huge fan of the Deathkorps of Krieg, and it was a thrill to bring these allies to life in sprite form. We studied the miniatures closely, and I hope when the player sees them fighting side by side, they feel we’ve done them justice. 

The lasgun weaponry in particular is something I think we’ve accurately captured, as well as the iconic gasmask and trenchcoat look. Really, what’s not to like about this character’s design?

There’s an abundance of new enemies joining the fight in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, along with a new character, new weapons and new worlds to explore. 

Make sure to wishlist Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 on PlayStation 5 to be notified when it releases later this year!